Remaking a beloved classic, especially one that’s still a relatively recent hit, is a daunting prospect to say the least. If credible insider reports and teases are to be believed though, that’s exactlywhat Naughty Dog is doing right now. In addition to having several other rumored projects in the works, a remake of the originalLast of Usfor the PS5 is reportedly at the top of the studio’s agenda.
According to a list of insiders that continues to grow on a regular basis,The Last of Usremake could even be unveiled and released during the second half of 2022. The fact that Naughty Dog has refused to comment on the topic could suggest the studio is fully aware of the magnitude of the task it’s supposedly undertaking. While there’s every chance that a remake could recreate the critical success thatthe PS3 version achieved in 2013, there’s a long list of things that the studio should avoid changing.
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Ellie and Joel
For some players, what makesThe Last of Ussuch a special game is the relationship between its two main protagonists. From the moment that Ellie and Joel are thrown together, their surrogate father-daughter dynamic drives the narrative of Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic thriller along until its conclusion. Even in the game’s sequel, where there’s less direct interaction between the pair, the bond continues to underpin almost everything that happens. It’s for this reason that the studio needs to take extreme care when it comes to revisiting both characters.
It almost goes without saying, butNaughty Dog shouldn’t changethe fundamental building blocks of Ellie and Joel’s relationship in its theoretical remake. What they mean to each other and their respective backstories, should instead play out almost exactly the same as they did back in 2013. That’s not to say that the studio shouldn’t necessarily add more elements into the mix, provided that they are in servitude to the overall themes that have been established. HBO’s upcoming TV adaptation of the series could prove to be a good test-bed on this front, as it will likely explore parts of their journey that players didn’t control.
No matter how captivatingPedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey’s live-action depictionsultimately end up being though, it’s clear that fans aren’t in the mood for Ellie and Joel to be recast in-game. Having lent their voices to bringing both characters to life, Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker will always be the definitive versions of both characters. What’s more, based on interviews conducted with both, it’s clear that they have been intimately involved in the characterization of their respective parts, almost as much as Naughty Dog itself. Adding any other actor into the mix withinThe Last of Usremake would be a huge disservice not only to them, but the overall experience as well.
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Last of Us’ Story
In a similar vein to Ellie and Joel’s relationship, the story that both character’s travel through inThe Last of Usshould remain largely intact within its potential remake. From a format perspective in particular,Naughty Dog’s decision to splitits narrative into seasonal chunks helped to create a sense of scale back on the PS3. There was a real palpable feeling that both protagonists were undertaking a mammoth road-trip, of real consequence to their lives and the world around them. There’s no reason this needs to be changed 9 years later on the PS5.
On a more intimate level, it’s also hard to imagine any individual story fromthe firstLast of Usneeding to be removed either. Each of the characters that Ellie and Joel came across during their original journey had a profound impact not only on them, but also the player as well. Characters like Sam and Henry, and even the game’s infamous primary antagonist David, all left an important impression on proceedings. While each elicited different emotional responses, a case can be argued that each was up to a quality that should guarantee their future presence.
Similarly, the locations and iconography of the first entry in the series should be maintained on a wholesale level withinthe rumoredThe Last of Usremake. While a case can be made for some maps being renovated elevation-wise, the general settings all worked on a level it’s hard to imagine Naughty Dog topping. Thanks to how the franchise’s Outbreak Day has become a real-world event, the studio should also maintain the Halloween-themed undertones that permeated the game. It should go without saying on this front, but environmental storytelling aspects like Ish’s legendary story should be remade on a 1:1 level too.
Last of Us' Mechanics
Even though Naughty Dog has developed a reputation for its ability to tell gripping cinematic stories, the gameplay side of the studio’s output is still of vital importance. Out of all the different aspects that made up the firstLast of Us9 years ago, it’s arguably this area that the remake should spend the most amount of time modernizing. Despite the originalgame’s success on the PS3, the gameplay side of the equation is now showing its age two console generations later.
While it’s easy to imagine the gameplayrenovations ofThe Last of Us 2being backdated into the remake, particularly when it comes to weapons, on a fundamental level Naughty Dog shouldn’t play around too much. The core concepts of scavenging, crafting, and managing resources were all executed pretty much flawlessly the first time around. It can be easy to forget thanks to the characters and stories that the studio focuses on, butThe Last of Usshares a lot of its DNA with the survival horror genre. Tampering in this department could otherwise undermine the desperate struggle to survive that contributed to the first game’s success.
Thanks to the PS4’sLast of Us: Remastered, the first entry in the series still holds up relatively well graphically on Sony’s current generation console. Naturally, because ofthe PS5’s increased power, there’s no way Naughty Dog won’t shakeup the remake with new native 4K visuals. On a more fundamental level however, the studio shouldn’t play around too much with the game’s cinematography. Some of the original’s scenes have remained iconic to this day, thanks to the Hollywood-esque techniques that were used in the first place. As such, there’s reason why these should be changed going forward.
The Last of Usremake is rumored to be in development for PS5.
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